How many people do you interact with on a daily basis? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

snowy · 04-23-2011, 07:35 AM

Two parts to the question:

How many people do you interact with on a daily basis in real life, face-to-face and how many people do you interact with online?

At home, I interact with my husband every day. I work at a small childcare center based in a church. I work for both the center and the church. Over the course of a day, I interact with about 20 children from 1-3 years old, and my 6 coworkers at the center. I also interact with my church coworkers nearly every day, since I often take breaks at the same time that the office manager is taking her break. Typically, I interact with 4 of my coworkers from the church every day, or church members that I know. So, on an average day (a day I'm not going out to socialize), I see about 30 or so people and talk to them. On days where I do go out to socialize, we typically hang out with anywhere from 2 other people to 6, so it could be 32 or 36.

I'm not really counting less substantial interactions for myself, like buying something at the grocery store, because usually if I can skip interacting with the cashier by using a U-Scan, I will do that. The only place in town I don't mind chit-chatting with the cashier is the local hippie co-op.

Online, I interact with all of you and probably make about 5 comments on Facebook, plus a email every other day or so. I talk to monkie a lot on Google Chat.

How about you?

Baraka_Guru · 04-23-2011, 07:41 AM

On average, face to face these days is somewhere between 1 and 3. Often the number is 1.

On occasion, I will interact with up to 4 to 6 people, but that's more rare these days.

Online? On average, probably at least 10+.

BadNick · 04-23-2011, 09:46 AM

In work I typically have extended interaction with 15 to 20 of my co-workers; this is more interaction than just glance or quick hello; if I include those I'd add another 10 or 15 depending on how far I venture from my desk.

When I get home it's my wife and two boys, plus almost always a neighbor or two within earshot to say hello to and ask what's up.

Online I would say it's about a dozen a day; a few here and mostly on another hobby related forum I frequent.

When I stop in at local stores near home I usually exchange a few friendly words with regular employee people since we mutually recognize each other. I have a jacket with "Nick" embroidered on it so the "Wawa Girl" always says "hi Nick" and we exchange some friendly chit-chat. A couple days ago I told her I call her "Wawa Girl" since I don't know her name to which she told me she's Alex.

LordEden · 04-23-2011, 10:40 AM

3-5 co-workers, up to 15 (normally 3-10 people daily) people when I help end-users with problems.

2 or so complete strangers (different tech support lines).

Cinn, plus about 1-3 friends. If we go out, I usually end up chatting with someone at the bar.

Online? Depends, sometimes I jump into random channels on IRC and there is always TFP chat.

amonkie · 04-23-2011, 10:44 AM

As a manager I usually interact with 25-30 people throughout the course of my day internally. As a manager for a call center as well as a primary contact I get a fair share of incoming calls as well, usually 5-10.

I differ from snowy in that I count my "as the day goes" interactions. The very reason for this being that at times, they are in fact the only interactions I have with people face to face.

Online, for a long LONG time I could most quickly be found by popping into TFP's chat. I've got a circle of about 10-12 people that I interact with on a fairly regular basis online. The medium ranges from Gtalk, Facebook, email, other messenger programs.

uncle phil · 04-23-2011, 11:59 AM

when i'm sub-teaching, which is quite often, upwards of 120 people a day; otherwise, between 25 and 30...

Dartma · 04-23-2011, 12:09 PM

I think around 5-6 face to face

5 online

Lindy · 04-23-2011, 01:45 PM

At work, about a dozen or so, a few more on the phone, plus a little idle chit-chat with people at the grocery, meat market, or on the T. Sometimes I visit with the woman who rents the other half of my duplex, or my next door neighbor, who sometimes dismounts the T at the stop/time as I do. My Sig Other is finally back from Sweden,

so I interact with him.
When I hit the road, I may go a couple of days and interact with no one except waitresses, hotel desk folks, and gas/convenience store clerks. Pay-at-the-pump even cuts that down.

Online, there's TFP, TalkBass, and a few financial/investment analysis sites, couple of dozen emails to answer, many just a few words of acknowledgement. I've never liked online chat. It just feels stilted and awkward, and I've haven't been able to get into u, ur, prolly, and other text-isms. Well, maybe an occasional lol or wtf!

Lindy

lunxpress · 04-23-2011, 02:38 PM

By nature, I am an anti-social recluse, but I am usually pursued by at least 5 people. A couple of girls at my office, my SO, my sons, my neighbor.
I prefer short pointless conversations, like the ones at the bank, because I don’t have time for, nor do I want, extended ones. I do enjoy equally weighted banter between two engaged parties, But have found that if I give an inch to someone socially, they usually hold me hostage for 45 minutes. Listening is a lost art. I feel like the ball often gets stuck in the court of my opponents, who have no intention of hitting it back.

I like clean communication that is devoid of lengthy explanations. Cut to the chase. Get to the point. Answer my question- DONE.

On the phone; my sister everyday. Online, 5 peeps.

I only want to talk to people I learn things from. If you can’t teach me, I ain’t interested-but I will smile and nod until I doze off.

mixedmedia · 04-23-2011, 02:41 PM

Granted my situation has changed dramatically recently. But in the vet clinic, I interact with 1-2 people in the front of the place side by side all day. That will change when I get set out on my own after next week. In the back are the vets (1-3) and the vet techs (3-6) depending on the day of the week.

Then there are the 30-60 or so clients who come through every day with or without companions. Probably 20 or so people who stop by just to ask questions. Probably 100-150 calls a day - both incoming calls and the follow-up and reminder calls we have to make every day (granted, some of those outgoing calls are messages left on answering machines). And, of course, maybe they are not people, but I try to interact with as many of the pets as I can because they are adorable.

Online I interact with some people here, not as much lately, 3-4 or 4 regularly maybe. There are, I dunno, 10 people I interact with on facebook. Very little emailing because I really dislike writing emails for some reason.

I guess that's it.

Oh, and I get shunned by my neighbors right next door almost every day for some unknown reason. They were friendly when we moved in. I think they might be upset that my daughters feed the stray cats outside. But whatever. They are moving soon.

ItWasMe · 04-23-2011, 06:57 PM

I work in a very busy store that once in a while has no line for about, oh, 30 seconds tops. I'll try to remember to look later this week, after slow Easter and my weekend. They post efficiency reports on the wall that shows your # of customers, # of items sold, amount $ in sales, etc. Add their spouses and their pack of kids, too. Top that cupcake with 20-30 coworkers, and I'm mentally tapped out by the time I get home. At home, 4 family members and maybe a person or two online. Mostly a forum if I chat online.

Lindy · 04-23-2011, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lunxpress

....have found that if I give an inch to someone socially, they usually hold me hostage for 45 minutes....

Yes.

There's a woman at my church that every time I get into a conversation with her, I just can't get away. I feel like I've been taken prisoner...

Lindy

skizziks · 04-26-2011, 05:32 PM

i work in a bicycle shop in a bicycle destination, where people from literally all over the world come to ride. depending on the day i deal with many many people, face to face and on the phone. i help them have a great vacation, and it makes me happy when they thank me and smile and have a great time.

online, i don't deal with too many people, you tend to lose a lot in communication online, and it gets too frustrating for me. i prefer real actual human interaction.

Patrin · 05-01-2011, 09:34 AM

I usually interact with 4 or 5 real people at the office, face to face, usually just exchanging polite pleasantries, etc. Any real-work interaction gets done on the phone, usually with the same 2 people, who are my direct reports (from whom I am geographically unable to interact with face-to-face). We use the phone because it's often quicker and easier than composing a lengthy email and to make decisions that need to be made right away.

But then there is the weekly staff meeting, around a real conference table, that takes place as well. So some days, real-world interaction is a whopping 8 to 10 people.

Online interaction is 6 to 10 people on a daily basis at the office, including our interoffice IM system. 3 or 4 people via personal email.

Shagg · 05-01-2011, 12:43 PM

I've got 6 people on my crew + a shift supervisor, on nights that's about all I come in contact with. Day shift I'll have contact with 5-15 more people on average. If I am online, I'll be in contact with 5 or so on average, but I usually don't go online much if at all during my set of shifts. I see my fiancee most days, but with our combination of weird schedules sometimes we only mumble a few words to each other in bed. Lot of times she'll get home from work a couple hours before I have to wake up for work.

Ourcrazymodern? · 05-01-2011, 01:57 PM

Today it was the 6 in the house for a nice breakfast together. At the library, another few. When I go to the grocery, that usually comprises several more. I thrive on interactions. I'm kind/of that way. Online, it's impossible for me to say. We're all staying tuned, right?

telekinetic · 05-01-2011, 10:13 PM

There are five other engineers, two document control people, three drafters, three technicians, two sales guys, four customer service guys, three program managers, two tech writers, two certification specialists, my manager, his manager, his director, and three supply chain people that I work and meet with daily--so, 32? Depending on the meetings I could be interacting with a whole other department (so, up to double that) or the shop floor (add up to 100), or corporate (add 20). I also have 10 or 12 people that I go to lunch with on a rotating basis that I don't work with directly. At home, it's usually just the wife and kids, unless I take MiniTK to gymnastics, then it's the coach, six kids, and their parents.

MeltedMetalGlob · 05-04-2011, 02:57 PM

In the real world, I interact with the two people I live with daily, and at work I either interact with one person or three. (my boss and two co-workers, if I get assigned to work with them that day) Here and there there might be an occasional encounter with another person, but this is not the norm.

Online? Lately... nobody. I've been cutting back on my internet time, and I just don't visit the places I used to.

Cynthetiq · 05-04-2011, 04:44 PM

wife, security guard, bus driver, passengers, random people walking to the office, security guard, receptionist, people in the office waiting for the elevator, office mates, people in the cafeteria... and then some variation of the themes above.

I easily can interact with 20 people in a single day.

KirStang · 05-04-2011, 04:46 PM

I interact with the coffee shop clerk, maybe my apartment receptionist, assorted store clerks in person. Maybe a few phone calls here and there.

Truth be told, I really do not interact face to face enough.

Online, I'm always talking with my girlfriend, with plan 9, and then other strangers through forums, like this one.

SuburbanZombie · 05-08-2011, 07:46 PM

Face to face depends on how many clients I see. Anywhere from 0-5, plus any coffee shop/food place I may need to stop in during my travels.
Oh, and the wife.
Usually 2-3 people per day just on the phone during the week.

CinnamonGirl · 05-09-2011, 05:24 AM

If I'm working, depending on how busy we are, I'd say around 50ish people (including coworkers.) On my days off, just one--Eden. And for the most part, I like it that way.

Online, not many directly. But I have daily contact with family members and a few friends on facebook.

04-23-2011, 07:35 AM	#1 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	How many people do you interact with on a daily basis? Two parts to the question: How many people do you interact with on a daily basis in real life, face-to-face and how many people do you interact with online? At home, I interact with my husband every day. I work at a small childcare center based in a church. I work for both the center and the church. Over the course of a day, I interact with about 20 children from 1-3 years old, and my 6 coworkers at the center. I also interact with my church coworkers nearly every day, since I often take breaks at the same time that the office manager is taking her break. Typically, I interact with 4 of my coworkers from the church every day, or church members that I know. So, on an average day (a day I'm not going out to socialize), I see about 30 or so people and talk to them. On days where I do go out to socialize, we typically hang out with anywhere from 2 other people to 6, so it could be 32 or 36. I'm not really counting less substantial interactions for myself, like buying something at the grocery store, because usually if I can skip interacting with the cashier by using a U-Scan, I will do that. The only place in town I don't mind chit-chatting with the cashier is the local hippie co-op. Online, I interact with all of you and probably make about 5 comments on Facebook, plus a email every other day or so. I talk to monkie a lot on Google Chat. How about you? __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

04-23-2011, 07:41 AM	#2 (permalink)
Baraka_Guru warrior bodhisattva Super Moderator Location: East-central Canada	On average, face to face these days is somewhere between 1 and 3. Often the number is 1. On occasion, I will interact with up to 4 to 6 people, but that's more rare these days. Online? On average, probably at least 10+. __________________ Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing? —Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön Humankind cannot bear very much reality. —From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

04-23-2011, 10:44 AM	#5 (permalink)
amonkie Drifting Administrator Location: Windy City	As a manager I usually interact with 25-30 people throughout the course of my day internally. As a manager for a call center as well as a primary contact I get a fair share of incoming calls as well, usually 5-10. I differ from snowy in that I count my "as the day goes" interactions. The very reason for this being that at times, they are in fact the only interactions I have with people face to face. Online, for a long LONG time I could most quickly be found by popping into TFP's chat. I've got a circle of about 10-12 people that I interact with on a fairly regular basis online. The medium ranges from Gtalk, Facebook, email, other messenger programs. __________________ Calling from deep in the heart, from where the eyes can't see and the ears can't hear, from where the mountain trails end and only love can go... ~~~ Three Rivers Hare Krishna

04-23-2011, 11:59 AM	#6 (permalink)
uncle phil comfortably numb... Super Moderator Location: upstate	when i'm sub-teaching, which is quite often, upwards of 120 people a day; otherwise, between 25 and 30... __________________ "We were wrong, terribly wrong. (We) should not have tried to fight a guerrilla war with conventional military tactics against a foe willing to absorb enormous casualties...in a country lacking the fundamental political stability necessary to conduct effective military and pacification operations. It could not be done and it was not done." - Robert S. McNamara ----------------------------------------- "We will take our napalm and flame throwers out of the land that scarcely knows the use of matches... We will leave you your small joys and smaller troubles." - Eugene McCarthy in "Vietnam Message" ----------------------------------------- never wrestle with a pig. you both get dirty; the pig likes it.

04-23-2011, 02:38 PM	#9 (permalink)
lunxpress Tilted Location: Here	No title By nature, I am an anti-social recluse, but I am usually pursued by at least 5 people. A couple of girls at my office, my SO, my sons, my neighbor. I prefer short pointless conversations, like the ones at the bank, because I don’t have time for, nor do I want, extended ones. I do enjoy equally weighted banter between two engaged parties, But have found that if I give an inch to someone socially, they usually hold me hostage for 45 minutes. Listening is a lost art. I feel like the ball often gets stuck in the court of my opponents, who have no intention of hitting it back. I like clean communication that is devoid of lengthy explanations. Cut to the chase. Get to the point. Answer my question- DONE. On the phone; my sister everyday. Online, 5 peeps. I only want to talk to people I learn things from. If you can’t teach me, I ain’t interested-but I will smile and nod until I doze off.

04-23-2011, 09:46 AM	#3 (permalink)
BadNick Riding the Ocean Spray Location: S.E. PA in U Sofa	In work I typically have extended interaction with 15 to 20 of my co-workers; this is more interaction than just glance or quick hello; if I include those I'd add another 10 or 15 depending on how far I venture from my desk. When I get home it's my wife and two boys, plus almost always a neighbor or two within earshot to say hello to and ask what's up. Online I would say it's about a dozen a day; a few here and mostly on another hobby related forum I frequent. When I stop in at local stores near home I usually exchange a few friendly words with regular employee people since we mutually recognize each other. I have a jacket with "Nick" embroidered on it so the "Wawa Girl" always says "hi Nick" and we exchange some friendly chit-chat. A couple days ago I told her I call her "Wawa Girl" since I don't know her name to which she told me she's Alex.

04-23-2011, 12:09 PM	#7 (permalink)
Dartma Banned	I think around 5-6 face to face 5 online

04-23-2011, 01:45 PM	#8 (permalink)
Lindy Junkie	At work, about a dozen or so, a few more on the phone, plus a little idle chit-chat with people at the grocery, meat market, or on the T. Sometimes I visit with the woman who rents the other half of my duplex, or my next door neighbor, who sometimes dismounts the T at the stop/time as I do. My Sig Other is finally back from Sweden, so I interact with him. When I hit the road, I may go a couple of days and interact with no one except waitresses, hotel desk folks, and gas/convenience store clerks. Pay-at-the-pump even cuts that down. Online, there's TFP, TalkBass, and a few financial/investment analysis sites, couple of dozen emails to answer, many just a few words of acknowledgement. I've never liked online chat. It just feels stilted and awkward, and I've haven't been able to get into u, ur, prolly, and other text-isms. Well, maybe an occasional lol or wtf! Lindy

04-23-2011, 02:41 PM	#10 (permalink)
mixedmedia has all her shots. Location: Florida	Granted my situation has changed dramatically recently. But in the vet clinic, I interact with 1-2 people in the front of the place side by side all day. That will change when I get set out on my own after next week. In the back are the vets (1-3) and the vet techs (3-6) depending on the day of the week. Then there are the 30-60 or so clients who come through every day with or without companions. Probably 20 or so people who stop by just to ask questions. Probably 100-150 calls a day - both incoming calls and the follow-up and reminder calls we have to make every day (granted, some of those outgoing calls are messages left on answering machines). And, of course, maybe they are not people, but I try to interact with as many of the pets as I can because they are adorable. Online I interact with some people here, not as much lately, 3-4 or 4 regularly maybe. There are, I dunno, 10 people I interact with on facebook. Very little emailing because I really dislike writing emails for some reason. I guess that's it. Oh, and I get shunned by my neighbors right next door almost every day for some unknown reason. They were friendly when we moved in. I think they might be upset that my daughters feed the stray cats outside. But whatever. They are moving soon. __________________ Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

04-23-2011, 06:57 PM	#11 (permalink)
ItWasMe But You'll Never Prove It. Location: under your bed	I work in a very busy store that once in a while has no line for about, oh, 30 seconds tops. I'll try to remember to look later this week, after slow Easter and my weekend. They post efficiency reports on the wall that shows your # of customers, # of items sold, amount $ in sales, etc. Add their spouses and their pack of kids, too. Top that cupcake with 20-30 coworkers, and I'm mentally tapped out by the time I get home. At home, 4 family members and maybe a person or two online. Mostly a forum if I chat online. __________________ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "Ok, no more truth-or-dare until somebody returns my underwear" ~ George Lopez I bake cookies just so I can lick the bowl. ~ ItWasMe

04-26-2011, 05:32 PM	#13 (permalink)
skizziks Insane Location: out west	i work in a bicycle shop in a bicycle destination, where people from literally all over the world come to ride. depending on the day i deal with many many people, face to face and on the phone. i help them have a great vacation, and it makes me happy when they thank me and smile and have a great time. online, i don't deal with too many people, you tend to lose a lot in communication online, and it gets too frustrating for me. i prefer real actual human interaction.

05-01-2011, 09:34 AM	#14 (permalink)
Patrin Upright Location: USA	I usually interact with 4 or 5 real people at the office, face to face, usually just exchanging polite pleasantries, etc. Any real-work interaction gets done on the phone, usually with the same 2 people, who are my direct reports (from whom I am geographically unable to interact with face-to-face). We use the phone because it's often quicker and easier than composing a lengthy email and to make decisions that need to be made right away. But then there is the weekly staff meeting, around a real conference table, that takes place as well. So some days, real-world interaction is a whopping 8 to 10 people. Online interaction is 6 to 10 people on a daily basis at the office, including our interoffice IM system. 3 or 4 people via personal email. Last edited by Patrin; 05-01-2011 at 09:38 AM..

05-01-2011, 12:43 PM	#15 (permalink)
Shagg What day is it? Location: Downey, CA	I've got 6 people on my crew + a shift supervisor, on nights that's about all I come in contact with. Day shift I'll have contact with 5-15 more people on average. If I am online, I'll be in contact with 5 or so on average, but I usually don't go online much if at all during my set of shifts. I see my fiancee most days, but with our combination of weird schedules sometimes we only mumble a few words to each other in bed. Lot of times she'll get home from work a couple hours before I have to wake up for work.

05-01-2011, 01:57 PM	#16 (permalink)
Ourcrazymodern? still, wondering. Location: South Minneapolis, somewhere near the gorgeous gorge	Today it was the 6 in the house for a nice breakfast together. At the library, another few. When I go to the grocery, that usually comprises several more. I thrive on interactions. I'm kind/of that way. Online, it's impossible for me to say. We're all staying tuned, right? __________________ BE JUST AND FEAR NOT

05-01-2011, 10:13 PM	#17 (permalink)
telekinetic zomgomgomgomgomgomg Location: Fauxenix, Azerona	There are five other engineers, two document control people, three drafters, three technicians, two sales guys, four customer service guys, three program managers, two tech writers, two certification specialists, my manager, his manager, his director, and three supply chain people that I work and meet with daily--so, 32? Depending on the meetings I could be interacting with a whole other department (so, up to double that) or the shop floor (add up to 100), or corporate (add 20). I also have 10 or 12 people that I go to lunch with on a rotating basis that I don't work with directly. At home, it's usually just the wife and kids, unless I take MiniTK to gymnastics, then it's the coach, six kids, and their parents. __________________ twisted no more

05-04-2011, 04:44 PM	#19 (permalink)
Cynthetiq Tilted Cat Head Administrator Location: Manhattan, NY	wife, security guard, bus driver, passengers, random people walking to the office, security guard, receptionist, people in the office waiting for the elevator, office mates, people in the cafeteria... and then some variation of the themes above. I easily can interact with 20 people in a single day. __________________ I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not. What's the best nation in the world? DO-NATION!

05-04-2011, 02:57 PM	#18 (permalink)
MeltedMetalGlob Crazy Location: San Huevos, USA	In the real world, I interact with the two people I live with daily, and at work I either interact with one person or three. (my boss and two co-workers, if I get assigned to work with them that day) Here and there there might be an occasional encounter with another person, but this is not the norm. Online? Lately... nobody. I've been cutting back on my internet time, and I just don't visit the places I used to. __________________ How's your mom, Ed?

05-08-2011, 07:46 PM	#21 (permalink)
SuburbanZombie Upright Location: Suburban Bliss	Face to face depends on how many clients I see. Anywhere from 0-5, plus any coffee shop/food place I may need to stop in during my travels. Oh, and the wife. Usually 2-3 people per day just on the phone during the week.

05-09-2011, 05:24 AM	#22 (permalink)
CinnamonGirl She's Actual Size Location: Central Republic of Where-in-the-Hell	If I'm working, depending on how busy we are, I'd say around 50ish people (including coworkers.) On my days off, just one--Eden. And for the most part, I like it that way. Online, not many directly. But I have daily contact with family members and a few friends on facebook. __________________ "...for though she was ordinary, she possessed health, wit, courage, charm, and cheerfulness. But because she was not beautiful, no one ever seemed to notice these other qualities, which is so often the way of the world." "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"